Published: Feb 18, 2026, 11:25 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 18, 2026, 11:25 PM (IST)
India sealed top spot in Group A with a commanding 17-run victory over the Netherlands in their final group-stage match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on February 18, 2026. Batting first after winning the toss, India posted a challenging 193/6, powered by Shivam Dube’s explosive 66 off 31 balls. The bowlers then restricted the Dutch to 176/7, with Varun Chakravarthy claiming 3/14 to seal the win and keep India’s unbeaten run intact.
Rinku Singh, India’s designated finisher, played a brief but impactful cameo of just four balls in the final over. In that short stay, he smashed one massive six, taking his tally of sixes in the 20th over of T20 Internationals to 14 – overtaking captain Suryakumar Yadav (13) to become the second-highest Indian in this elite list.
Top Indian batters for sixes in the 20th over in T20Is:
Globally, South Africa’s David Miller leads with 25 sixes in the final over, followed by Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee and Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka (20 each).
Rinku’s ability to clear the ropes under pressure once again underlined his value as a death-overs specialist.
India’s innings was built around Shivam Dube’s blistering 66 off 31 balls with 4 fours, 6 sixes – his highest T20I score. Coming in after early trouble, Dube and Hardik Pandya (30) added 76 runs for the fifth wicket to accelerate the scoring in the middle and death overs.
The innings began poorly with opener Abhishek Sharma recording his third consecutive duck in the tournament (0 off 3 balls, bowled by Aryan Dutt). Contributions came from Ishan Kishan (18), Tilak Varma (31), and Suryakumar Yadav (34), but Dube’s fearless striking took India to a strong total. Aryan Dutt was the pick of the Dutch bowlers with 2/19.
Defending 193, India struck early and regularly. Varun Chakravarthy returned figures of 3/14 in his four overs, while Shivam Dube chipped in with 2/35. Bas de Leede top-scored for the Netherlands with 33 as they fought valiantly but never threatened the target, finishing at 176/7.
Brief Scores
India 193/6 in 20 overs (Shivam Dube 66, Hardik Pandya 30, Tilak Varma 31, Suryakumar Yadav 34; Aryan Dutt 2/19)
Netherlands 176/7 in 20 overs (Bas de Leede 33; Varun Chakravarthy 3/14, Shivam Dube 2/35)
With four consecutive wins, India top Group A and head into the Super 8s with momentum and confidence. Rinku’s record-breaking cameo and Dube’s firepower once again proved why India remain one of the tournament favorites.
Also Read: Abhishek Sharma’s nightmare continues as THIRD consecutive duck in T20 World Cup 2026
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